PLOS NTDs

When researchers identify diseases that pose the greatest threat to health, it helps policymakers and specialists fine-tune the effectiveness of national disease control measures. One common tropical disease, leishmaniasis, is transferred by sandfly bites and can cause permanent injury, disability…

The mosquito species Aedes aegypti is estimated to infect about 100 million people annually with devastating illnesses such as dengue and zika. Originally thought to affect only tropical regions, mosquito-transmitted viruses are increasingly becoming a worldwide health challenge due to…

The Qinghai-Tibet plateau is one of China’s highest risk areas for human plague, caused by the infectious bacterium Yersinia pestis. The main carrier of the disease is the Himalayan marmot, a rodent about the size of a large domestic cat.…

The evolutionary history and origin of syphilis, and other diseases caused by the spiral-shaped bacteria treponema, is a hotly debated topic by scholars. Scholars who theorize syphilis originated in the “New World” and preceded the 15th century have been in…

Trachomatous trichiasis, caused by the chlamydia bacteria, is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness worldwide. This disease is common in areas of the world that lack access to health care and clean water. While a simple and free…

In places where local populations face more than one infectious disease, health officials may choose to integrate disease control efforts in order to combat multiple diseases at once. Integration refers to the creation of linkages among existing programs to improve…

For years, doctors have observed that some patients with leprosy develop unusual blood clots that can lead to stroke or heart attack. In a new article published with PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Flavio Alves Lara of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute…

In the effort to eradicate polio, the World Health Organization established the Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN), a network of 145 labs designed to process polio tests. It turns out that these labs are also well-equipped to help tackle neglected…

Researchers have recently identified high-risk areas for cholera in Uganda and published their findings in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Cholera is caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with either of two subtypes of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Every…

Millions of people in tropical countries are at risk for contracting tuberculosis (TB) each year, with the existing Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine protecting only against the most severe childhood form. However, many of these people have pre-existing parasitic infections, which…